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June 4, 2010
GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
3
newsbriefs
Trans man in wheelchair wins International Mr. Leather
Chicago-International Mr. Leather 2010 broke two barriers when he took the title on May 30.
IML 2010 Tyler McCormick is the first person in a wheelchair to reach the pinnacle of the leather community, making it from Mr. Rio Grande Leather of New Mexico and beating out Mr. San Francisco Leather Lance Holman, who was first runner-up, and Jack Andrew Duke, Mr. Texas Leather, who snagged second runner-up.
The wheels, however, were possibly less of a hurdle for McCormick than the fact that he is a female-to-male transsexual, the first FTM to win IML.
"When I first transitioned, I was told that I would never be accepted, and that I would never be allowed to take my shirt off in public," he said during the speaking part of the competition. "Standing here as a strong, confident leatherman is proof to the contrary."
McCormick is a case manager at New Mexico AIDS Services, and is the 32nd man to win the title.
Gaydar is real, say researchers
Leiden, Netherlands-Gaydar is a real thing, according to Dutch researchers who tested the ability of gays and straights to identify subtle details.
Images of large squares and rectangles were packed with smaller shapes, and 42 participants were asked to identify what was inside.
The heterosexuals tended to answer more quickly, but to give a "big picture" answer, while the gay test subjects took longer to answer and were more often correct.
"This perceptual skill allows homosexuals to recognize other gay people
faster and we think it's because they are more analytic than heterosexuals," said Dr. Lorenza Colzato, one of the researchers, according to London's Daily Mail newspaper.
The Daily Mail points out that similar cognitive differences have been found between religious groups, with Roman Catholics in Italy seeing more big-picture while secular people saw more detail. That was also true of Orthodox Jews in Israel when compared to more secular Jews.
"This fits in with the strong emphasis on social solidarity in both Catholicism and Orthodox Judaism," said Dr. Colzato.
Baldwin and partner Azar break up
Madison, Wis. Rep. Tammy Baldwin has split from her partner of 15 years, Lauren Azar.
The news came in an announcement from Baldwin's press secretary, which also noted that the couple will end their domestic partnership in Wisconsin, which Baldwin represents in Congress.
She was first elected in 1998, becoming the first open lesbian in Congress and the first person to be elected to Congress as openly gay. Other queer representatives have been re-elected after coming out publicly, like Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts.
Azar is an attorney and a member of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
FDA to consider ending blood ban
Washington, D.C.-The ban on blood donations by gay men might be
BULLMANX, IML
coming to an end.
A May 20 notice in the Federal Register announced a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability that will be held in June on the topic. The committee provides recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The ban was instituted in 1983 to protect the blood supply during the first rush of AIDS infections, when very little was known about the disease and the most effective tests had a six-month gap between infection and detection.
Sen. John Kerry and 17 other senators sent a letter in March asking the FDA to overturn the ban, noting that scientific advances, including testing that is effective within days of infection, made it out-of-date and interfered with the ability of blood banks to keep a suitable supply.
The meetings will be held on June 10 and 11 in Rockville, Maryland, at the Universities of Shady Grove. The meetings are open to the public.
Bashing victim pleads guilty to assault
Thunder Bay, Ontario-The victim of a high-profile gay-bashing in this Lake Superior town pleaded guilty to assault in mid-May.
Jake Raynard and some friends were leaving a gay-friendly bar on September 5 when a group of teenagers accosted them, calling the "fags" and “fairies" and throwing bricks at them.
Raynard pulled one of the attackers off his friends and kicked him a few times before his friends left in a cab. Raynard, however, was knocked unconscious and had his skull fractured, among other injuries.
22nd Annual
However, when the prosecutor filed charges in the case, he also charged Raynard.
"I may have exceeded some bounds," Raynard told the Toronto LGBT newspaper XTra. "I'm a little bit in shock that I reacted that way. I'm not a violent person. There was alcohol and flared tempers. I have massive feelings of regret. It's something I'm dealing with on a daily basis."
Despite that regret, he feels the charges against him were unnecessary. "To what degree should you be allowed to defend yourself?" he asks.
Raynard and community members believe that, while the attack had the trappings of an anti-gay hate crime, the real motivation might have been gang initiation.
"We've got a major gang problem in Thunder Bay," he said. "The police have lost control of the city."
His plea agreement means that, if he stays out of trouble for a year, his record will be expunged. His assailants, however, will face trial this month.
Bill would bar LGBT bias for students
Washington, D.C.-After years of giving people affirmations as Saturday Night Live's Stuart Smalley, Sen. Al Franken on May 20 affirmed the rights of students by introducing the Student Non-Discrimination Act in the Senate.
A companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Jared Polis, who is openly gay.
The bills bar discrimination and
Continued on page 11
Cruise
G.I.F.T.
20.10. Cleveland &
GIFT
...Are You GAME Enough ???
INTERNATIONAL
MR.LEA
THER
International Mr. Leather 2010 Tyler McCormick gains a new honorific on Memorial Day Weekend, as he ascends from being Mr. Rio Grande Leather to International Mr. Leather. In addition to being the first disabled IML, he is also the first transgender International Mr. Leather. "I just want to encourage people to grow past their limitations, to realize their limitations and just live at whatever place they want to live, just live at their heart and not hold back from fear," he said after winning the title in Chicago. "I want them to push forward through it.”
-Anthany Glassman
Saturday June 12th
Goodtime III-North Coast Harbor, East 9th Street Pier
Boarding time 7:00 p.m. [Rain or Shine]
Cruise 7:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance $25 at the dock
A portion of each ticket will benefit a local charity organization
The 2010 Cleveland Gay/Lesbian Invitational Tournament is proudly sponsored by:
Marriott.
CLEVELAND AIRPORT
Seagram's Escapes
Miller
Life
STORM
THE BOWLER'S COMPANYTM
REPUBLIC
SERVICES
Additional Information is available at www.clevelandgift.org or by calling 216-749-2152